Zhang Kai might act like a tyrant at home, mooching off his parents and even daring to call his father "old fool," occasionally resorting to physical aggression. But now, watching outsiders bully his father like this, he felt a pang of discomfort. It was humiliating, agonizing, and utterly shameful.
The surrounding customers couldn’t take it anymore and began speaking up.
"This is going too far, isn’t it?"
"The old man already apologized—why keep harassing him?"
"Yeah, he apologized and even offered compensation. Why keep pushing it?"
"........."
"Shut the hell up! Anyone else who dares to speak gets the same treatment!" Brother Long slammed the table and roared.
At his outburst, the customers immediately fell silent. After all, Brother Long and his crew looked like trouble, and no one wanted to risk getting involved.
"And you! Wiping shoes like a snail—what’s the hold-up?!" Brother Long grabbed a beer bottle from the table, ready to hurl it at the old man.
"Brother Long!"
Zhang Kai suddenly seized his wrist, forcing a smile under the man’s bewildered gaze. "A worthless old man like him isn’t worth your effort… Let me handle it. I’ll make sure you’re satisfied."
With that, he snatched the bottle and, under his father’s terrified stare, raised it high before smashing it onto the ground.
"BANG!!!"
The bottle shattered inches from the old man’s ear, shards flying everywhere.
Zhang Kai yanked his father up by the collar, dragging him to the entrance of the food street before shoving him onto the sidewalk.
"Get lost! Don’t let me see you again!"
Then, he turned back to Brother Long, grinning obsequiously. "Brother Long, consider him taught a lesson—one he’ll never forget."
Brother Long’s anger had mostly subsided by now, and since Zhang Kai was still his 'golden goose,' he let it slide.
The group sat back down, eating and drinking as if nothing had happened.
Zhang Jianguo collapsed onto the snow-covered sidewalk, his heart colder than the ice beneath him.
Earlier, when he’d first arrived and put on his work uniform, he’d spotted his son. But afraid of embarrassing Zhang Kai, he hadn’t dared to acknowledge him.
When he went to clean the table next to his son’s, it wasn’t just part of his job—he wanted to see what kind of people Zhang Kai was associating with.
Hearing his son talk about joining gangs and getting involved with underworld circles made his heart ache.
He didn’t understand how his once-good child had turned out like this.
Maybe he’d spoiled him too much. Maybe that was why he’d become so rotten.
Zhang Jianguo struggled to get up, but his aching knees kept failing him. His cotton pants were soaked through with snow, the biting cold seeping into his bones.
Gritting his teeth, he managed to shuffle a few steps before glancing back toward the food street.
There, he saw Zhang Kai grinning as he poured drinks for Brother Long, the sycophantic sight stabbing into his heart like a knife.
"Xiao Kai… how could you become like this…?"
Across the way, at the Lakeside Resort Hotel’s banquet hall, Zhang Tao stood by the glass window, watching the scene unfold below—especially the moment Zhang Jianguo was thrown out by his own son. His fists clenched in fury.
If it weren’t for the young mistress being present and his duties at the hotel, he would’ve rushed over immediately.
Now he understood why Zhang Jianguo had asked if he was part of the underworld. Maybe the old man wanted to find a path for his son, thinking their world might suit him better?
After all, in their line of work, reaching Zhang Tao’s level was considered a great success.
Or perhaps Zhang Jianguo just wanted him to scare his son straight—to make him change his ways.
"What are you looking at?"
A crisp female voice suddenly sounded beside Zhang Tao.
Startled, he turned to see Liu Yutong approaching and immediately bowed respectfully. "Young Mistress!"
Without hiding anything, he recounted what he’d seen and his speculations.
In the Wanlong Society, few kept secrets from the young mistress. It wasn’t a rule—just trust and confidence.
They were confident that with her, any problem could be solved. Hiding things only risked worse outcomes.
Liu Yutong listened, swirling her wine glass before taking a delicate sip. "Yu Mo and the others will finish up at the hotel soon. Dinner won’t start for a while—should be enough time, right?"
Zhang Tao instantly grasped her meaning. "Understood, Young Mistress. I’ll head over now."
With a wave, he called out, "Anyone free, follow me!"
In an instant, dozens of black-suited men in the banquet hall surged toward the elevators.
......
Zhang Kai was drinking more heavily than usual, downing glass after glass without dodging any toasts.
Maybe he was trying to drown his guilt—or numb himself.
Brother Long’s group was also in high spirits, clinking glasses, devouring skewers, and playing drinking games without a care.
They had no idea that Zhang Jianguo outside had completely transformed.
Well, not in essence—just in appearance. Or rather, he now had backup.
Zhang Tao approached Zhang Jianguo and personally helped him up.
"Uncle Zhang, are you alright?"
Zhang Jianguo looked up, shivering. "Xiao… Xiao Zhang… you…"
Without another word, Zhang Tao took off his coat and draped it over the old man’s shoulders. Then, solemnly, he said, "Uncle Zhang, you asked me if I was part of the underworld, didn’t you?"
"Now, I am."
Tears instantly streamed down Zhang Jianguo’s face.
Only when pushed to the brink had he resorted to such methods to bring his son back.
"Let’s go."
When Zhang Tao escorted Zhang Jianguo into the food street, the diners were stunned.
"Isn’t that the old man who got bullied earlier?"
"Whoa, why’s he with those guys in black? Is he some big shot’s father or something?"
"Must be. Otherwise, why would they be so furious?"
"Those punks are screwed. Beating up a gangster’s dad? They’re done for."
"Serves them right, picking on an old man!"
"Yeah, sometimes it takes a villain to deal with villains."
"........."
For some reason, they suddenly saw a positive side to the underworld.
Zhang Tao swept a glance across the murmuring crowd, and the bustling food street fell dead silent. Many abandoned their meals, either fleeing or watching from a distance.
The once-packed street stalls emptied in an instant.
Those customers hadn’t been too afraid of Brother Long’s gang, but facing these real underworld figures—fresh from causing a 'bloodbath' at the hotel—they were terrified.
In a place frequented by the wealthy and powerful, daring to act recklessly like this—if they accidentally offended the wrong people, they wouldn’t even know how they died.
Zhang Kai and his friends, who had been drinking, suddenly noticed the surroundings had grown eerily quiet.
They found it strange.
“What, is it late already? Why is everyone leaving?”
“I bet they were scared off by Brother Long’s commanding presence earlier.”
“Exactly! Brother Long has status—even the big shots in the underworld show him respect. Even those guys in black over there have to give him face.”
“Right, those men in black would greet Brother Long with nothing but respect.”
The lackeys took turns buttering him up.
“Oh, really?”
A cold voice suddenly cut in from behind them.
“Of course—” One of the lackeys instinctively raised his head, but before he could finish, his words caught in his throat. Cold sweat began pouring down his forehead.
The others turned in confusion, only to see a man dressed in black standing right behind them.
Both Zhang Kai and the previously boastful Brother Long gulped hard. Brother Long, in particular, slammed the table in fury and shouted,
“Boss! It’s dark—why aren’t the lights on?!”
